Improvement in pumping-engines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

SAMUEL HARRISON, OF POT'ISVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA,

IMPROVEMENT IN PUlPlNG-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,089, dated August 5, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HARRISON, of Pottsville, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pumping Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in whichl Sheet No. 1 represents a side view of the engine complete and in place on its frames and bed. Sheet N o. 2 represents an end View of the same. Sheet N o. 3 represents portions of the engine on an enlarged scale, and the regulator or cataract, besides being shown by a side view, is also shown by a horizontal and vertical longitudinal section to better illustrate its operation.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the several separate drawings, denote like parts of the engine in all of them.

My invention is an improvement upon what is known as the Cornish bull engine,77 and is designed for draining mines and to be applied to those places where the veins are penetrated from the surface or outcrops on their natural inclinations, commonly called slopes,77 in contradistinction to shafts or vertical openings'. The engine is a single-acting one, taking the steam at the lower end of the cylinder only and lifting the pump-rods, the weight of the rods forcing the water up the column of pipes.

To en-able others skilled in the art to make and use my inventioml will-proceed to de scribe the same in connection with the drawings.

A A are two triangular cast-iron frames or beds made to conform on one of their sides at least to the angle of the slope where the engine is to work. These frames are placed by the side of each other,with their bases secured to a proper foundation, B, and firmly braced to each other. The steam-cylinder D is secured between the side pieces, A, of the frame at the same angle or inclination as that of the mine-slope by bolts which pass through longitudinal flanges E E on said cylinderand through said side pieces. i

G is a balance-beam having itsv bearings at F on the frames A. This balance-beam is connected with the main pump-rod z by a connecting-rod, I, which is attached at H to said balance-beam, and to the armJ of the crosshead K. At or near the points L of the frames A A are placed columns M M for the bearings of the rocking or tumbling shafts N O. Upon the top of the columns M M are braces P for bracing them firmly together and to the frames A at each side of the cylinder, as at R R. At or near the points S S of the frames, Fig. 2, and extending inward are flanges to which a floor-plate, T, is fastened between theframes A, for securing the lower parts of the steam or is fastened to the inside of the frames A A at y, Fig. 1, the lower end of said guide rest-ing upon the foundation B. I Thus the whole machine is combined with the two frames A A, making it very substantial and reliable.

The steam-valve is closed by the projecting barp striking the lever W on the upstroke of the piston, said projecting bar being attached to the top face of the plug-rod V. The eX- haustvalve is closed on the descent of the plugrod by the roller q striking the lever fr', and this roller can be adjusted on the plugrod to vary the closing, if found desirable at any time to do so. The steam and exhaust valves are both opened by weights t u, respectively,which are attached by rods f g to the. arms 1' s upon the rocking or tumbling shafts N O.

The construction and operation of the regulators or cataracts for directing the number of strokes of the engine, as well as to cause the plunger of the mine-pump to rest at each end of the stroke, thereby giving the pump-valves time to close effectually and to steady the co1-I umn of water before the return-stroke, is as follows:

a represents a box or reservoir of water or other tiuid with two small plunger-pumps, b c,

inside of it.

d and e are plungers working in the pumps b c. They are attached to rods f g, which pass through the guide piece h. An arm, i, is placed; upon the rocking or tumbling shaft N for raising the plunger d at the proper time, and an arm, j, is placed upon the exhaust rocking or tumbling shaft O for raising the plunger e at the proper time. A latch, k, prevents the shaftN from moving or being moved by the weightt until it (the latch) is released from the catch at l by the weight of the plunger e and its rod g.

m is a latch, which prevents the shaft O from being moved by the weight u until it is liberated from the catch at a by the weight of the plunger d and its rod f.

v and w are cocks for regulating the speed of the plungers d e in falling, by presenting a resistance of the water or other fluid against the plungers in accordance with the required strokes of the engine. Vhen the piston Q makes its ascending stroke, the projecting bar p strikes the lever WV and moves the tumblingshaft N sucieutly to allow the latch la to fall into thecatch at Z, and at thesame time closing the steam-valve and throwing the arm z' down, so as to allow the plunger d and rodf to descend. The piston having reachedV the end of its upward stroke, must remain in that position until the pressure of the steam is removed from it by opening the exhaust-valve, and this takes place when the plunger d and rod f descends, so as to bringaroller, toe-piece, or other projection on said rod against the latch m, pressing said latch out of the catch at u. The weight u being now at liberty to act, it moves the shaft o, which in turn opens the exhaust-valve and allows the piston to descend, and at the same time throws up the armj, plunger e, and rod g. Just before the piston reaches the end of its downstroke, the roller on the plug-rod V comes in contact with the leve` x and rocks or moves the shaft O sufficient to allow the latch m to fall into the catch at n, and at the'same time closing the exhaustvalve and throwing the armj down to permit the plunger e and rod g to descend. The steam and exhaust valves being both closed, and the piston being at the lower end of its dowustroke, it is evident that it must remain there until the plunger e, with the rod g, descends upon the latch k, pressing the latch by a suitable projecting piece from the catch Z and allowing the weight t to move the tumblingshaft N, which in turn opens the steam-valve and allows the steam to again move up the pist0n and at the same time throwing the arm, i plunger and rodf up to be in position for the next succeeding movement of the piston, as above described. In this manner each stroke ofthe engine is regulated, the ascent and descent of the plungers d e operating alternately by the movements of the rocking or tumbling shafts N O, the arms t' j, and the latches k m, the whole being put in motion at stated and proper periods by the movements of the plug-rod V.

In single-acting engines where the steam is applied at one end of the-cylinder only and expanded by its heat, while the other end of the cylinder is leftV comparatively cool, I have found that the difference in temperature, and consequently in the expansion and contraction of the metal, so varies the size of the two ends of the cylinder as to be detrimental to the good working of the piston. To remedy this defect.` and give a uniform temperature to both ends; of the cylinder, I make the top cylinder-head` D (as seen in the section on the left of draw-s ing No. 1) hollow, and connect therewith ai steam-pipe, D", that extends to and unites with the boiler, which keeps the top end of l the cylinder of about the same temperature as,` that of the lower end where the steam is .apf plied, and this head may be furnished with a suitable opening, as shown, through which it may be cleansed. i

The beam G, I term a balance-beam,77 it being provided at its end opposite to that where the connectingrod is attached with suitable appliances for holding a poise orcoun- 3 terpoise to give it a uniform motion and aid in raising the pump-rods.

I would state that Iam aware that cataractregulators have been used in connection with pumping-engines', and that a single-acting-engine hashad its cylinder surrounded with asteam-jacket to heat up the cylinder. These things I do not claim individually, but only as herein combined, arranged, or operating. y

Having thus fully described the nature and object of my invention,whatI claim the/rein as y new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

l. In combination with the triangular sides A of the frame and the inclined cylinder, the arrangement of the steam and exhaust valves with their several operative parts, as herein described.

2. The arrangement of the cross-head K, arm Y, and the plug-rod V, with its projecting bar l and roller for operating the levers W X, substantially as described,aud -for the purpose set forth. p

3. In combination with the regulatingpumps c b, the plungers, rods, arms, latches, and catches for regulating the strokes -ofy the engine in either ascending or descending, or l both, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a balance-beam, as herein represented, the connecting of the cross-head that carriesthe piston and the pump-rod to said beam by means ofthe rod I, arranged as herein described and represented.

5. In combination with a single acting pumping-engine, the making of' the head of the cylinder that is opposite to that one which receives the steam hollow and connecting it4 directly with the boiler as contradistinguished 1 from the jacket by means of a steam-pipe, D, j for the purpose of making the temperature of both ends uniform, as-herein described and j represented.

SAML. HARRISON.

Witnesses:

G. HARRrsoN SNYDER, RALPH R. LEE. 

